The present invention relates to the field of multi-purpose articles; particularly, to a device that conveniently serves as a combination cushion, carrying, and storage device, and garment to protect one from the environment.
Active people often find themselves in need of garments and accessories to protect themselves from the weather as well as increase one""s general comfort in the outdoors. Generally these garments and accessories are bulky, cumbersome, and often interfere with a person""s enjoyment of outdoor activities.
Fall evening football games are just one of many examples of when such garments and accessories are desirable. For example, a person attending such game will commonly bring with them an additional coat, a blanket, a seat cushion, a waterproof poncho and/or umbrella, gloves, a hat, ear muffs, and a large bag to carry all these items. These items are often forgotten prior to attending the game resulting in a less enjoyable viewing experience, or inadvertently left behind when leaving the event.
Previous attempts have been made to conveniently combine such articles. Numerous prior art attempts have included blankets, that may be used as a covering, that fold up into a self-contained carrying device, and that are sometimes used as a pillow. Such attempts include U.S. Pat. No. 5,414,881 to Terrazas, U.S. Pat. No. 5,454,125 to Ratkowski, U.S. Pat. No. 5,884,331 to Barajas, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,920,931 to Zuehlke et al., among others. Additionally, numerous prior art attempts have included poncho type personal coverings that may be folded to create a seat cushion, or may contain an independent seat cushion. Such attempts include U.S. Pat. No. 2,967,306 to Favanich, U.S. Pat. No. 4,370,755 to Crumby, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,463,783 to Pope.
Such devices may be relatively effective when the user is sedentary, but are generally ineffective when the user is involved in frequent motion. For example, blanket and body wrap type coverings must be draped over one""s shoulders and continuously held against one""s body, thus making it difficult to perform tasks that require use of one""s arms.
Further, while poncho type personal coverings allow limited use of the arms, this generally comes with increased exposure to the weather. For example, poncho type personal coverings generally drape over the shoulders of the user and accommodate arm movement by leaving the sides of the user exposed to the elements. Further, poncho type personal coverings rarely extend down the arm much past the elbow thereby leaving a portion of the user""s arms exposed to the elements. In the rare occasions in which a poncho type covering does create arm coverings via fasteners retaining the poncho side slits together, as in U.S. Pat. No. 2,967,306 to Fabanich, the range of motion of a user""s arms is very limited and the act of raising one""s arms exposes more of the user""s legs to the elements.
Such traditional devices as those described above are generally inadequate for the myriad of activities required by outdoor workers and non-sedentary recreational activities. Accordingly, the art has needed a means for providing a weather resistant garment that provides protection from the elements throughout a wide range of motion, while incorporating additional comfort and utility features. While some of the prior art devices attempted to improve the state of the art of personal covering and comfort devices, none has achieved a cost optimized capability that is easy to manufacture and provides comfort and protection from the elements throughout such a wide range of motion. With these capabilities taken into consideration, the instant invention addresses many of the shortcomings of the prior art and offers significant benefits heretofore unavailable. Further, none of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.
In its most general configuration, the present invention advances the state of the art with a variety of new capabilities and overcomes many of the shortcomings of prior devices in new and novel ways. In its most general sense, the present invention overcomes the shortcomings and limitations of the prior art in any of a number of generally effective configurations. In one of the many preferable configurations, the combination cushion, carry device, and garment apparatus incorporates, among other elements, a planar member, a hood, a right sleeve, a left sleeve, a waistband retainer, a carrying system, and a pouch.
The flexible planar member incorporates a first surface and an opposing second surface. The first surface is made of a first material and the second surface is made of a second material that may be substantially water repellant. The second surface is exposed to the environmental elements when the apparatus is worn as a garment. Additionally, the planar member is formed with a head opening allowing the user""s head and neck to pass from the first surface to the second surface.
A hood may be attached to the second surface located to substantially enclose the head opening with a hood attachment system. The hood attachment system may be a releasably attachment system to allow the hood to be easily affixed and removed from the second surface, or it may be a permanent attachment system achieved in any number of ways, including simply affixing the hood by sewing.
The apparatus further includes a right sleeve and a left sleeve. Each sleeve has an interior surface and an exterior surface. The right sleeve is attached to the first surface with a right sleeve attachment device, and similarly, the left sleeve is attached to the first surface with a left sleeve attachment device. Each attachment device is secured to the respective sleeve at a proximal end, while an elastic cuff is attached to the distal end of each sleeve. The sleeve attachment devices may secure the sleeves to the first surface permanently or releasably.
A waistband retainer attached to the planar member is further included in the apparatus. The waistband retainer acts in conjunction with a carrying system to releasably secure the apparatus around the body of the user. The waistband retainer may take the form of numerous embodiments. One such embodiment includes a right waistband member and a left waistband member. The right waistband member being secured to the right edge of the apparatus and the left waistband member being secured to the left edge of the apparatus. The right and left waistband members may be joined together simply by tying them together or through the use of a waistband adjustment device. The waistband adjustment device may take the form of virtually any adjustable joining system including, but not limited to, dual ring systems, hook and pile fasteners, hole and pin systems, and quick-release retaining systems.
The carrying system is attached to the planar member and serves dual functions. The carrying system acts both as a convenient adjustable method of carrying the apparatus during transport and as a method of adjustably securing the apparatus to the body when worn as a garment. The carrying system may take the form of numerous embodiments. One such embodiment includes a right carry member and a left carry member. The right carry member being secured to the right edge of the apparatus and the left carry member being secured to the left edge of the apparatus. The right and left carry members may be joined together simply by tying them together or through the use of a carry adjustment device. The carry adjustment device may take the form of virtually any adjustable joining system including, but not limited to, dual ring systems, hook and pile fasteners, hole and pin systems, and quick-release retaining systems.
In securing the apparatus to the body, the waistband retainer generally serves to first secure the front of the apparatus around to the lower back of the user. Once secured, the front of the apparatus is wrapped substantially around the sides and rear of the user. The rear of the apparatus is then wrapped around to the front of the user and secured using the carrying system. Therefore, a substantial portion of the user is wrapped with two layers of the apparatus. Once secure, the apparatus forms a close fit around the sleeves thus minimizing discomfort due to drafts and wind driven elements.
The apparatus further includes a pouch for receiving and transporting the planar member when not in use. Additionally, when the apparatus is within the pouch it may serve as a seat cushion and pillow. Generally, the pouch may be located anywhere along the perimeter of the planar member and on either surface.
The pouch generally consists of a planar body that may be any number of geometric configurations provided a predetermined volume, sufficient to contain the apparatus, is obtained. In one such embodiment, the planar body is substantially rectangular having a first edge, a second edge, a third edge, and a fourth edge. The first edge is generally attached to the planar member near the perimeter with the second and third edges attached to the planar member substantially perpendicular to the first edge. The fourth edge is generally not attached to the second surface thereby leaving an open end to accept the rolled, stuffed, or folded apparatus.
Further embodiments of the apparatus include a number of convenience accessories. One such convenience accessory is a hand warming compartment attached to the planar member. Further, the apparatus may include at least one pocket. Additionally, at least one accessory attachment device may be attached to the apparatus to provide a convenient method of securing items such as mittens, gloves, keys, and ear muffs to the apparatus.
Numerous other variations of the apparatus may include features specifically tailored to unique applications. For instance, a variation of the apparatus may be directed toward automobile emergency safety and include at least one reflective indicia. Additionally, such a variation may include pockets for containing jumper cables, tire puncture repair kits, air pressure gauges, ice scrapers, and any number of related automobile accessories. Similar variations may be directed toward skiers, snowmobile riders, motorcyclists, firefighters, police, emergency medical technicians, and their associated equipment.
These variations, modifications, alternatives, and alterations of the various preferred embodiments, arrangements, and configurations may be used alone or in combination with one another as will become more readily apparent to those with skill in the art with reference to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying figures and drawings.